Hollyoaks actress Kelly Condron has opened up about her son’s illness that left him 'unable to eat' or keep food down.
Kelly's son George, 12, suffered from reflux since he was a baby but doctors were initially unable to identify his condition. Eventually, they diagnosed him with Barrett’s oesophagus, a condition more common in older people which can cause indigestion, heartburn and difficulty swallowing food. A less common side effect is having reflux – where food comes back up from the stomach into the food pipe.
Unfortunately, George’s symptoms are bad acid reflux and this has caused damage to his oesophagus. He has to date had twelve procedures to help widen and stretch it, performed by surgeons at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. Kelly, who suffered PTSD when her youngest child Matilda, seven, was born, says the stress of it all has caused her condition to flare.
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Kelly, 39, who grew up in Salford and plays Zara Morgan in the long-running Channel Four soap, said: “He’s had about twelve procedures at the hospital to stretch his oesophagus and help with his swallowing. His first operation was about five or six years ago, so we’re semi-regulars now. We’ve spent quite a lot of time in the children’s hospital."
Kelly explains it took a while for George to be diagnosed with the condition, as it is rare in otherwise healthy children. She describes how George, who has also been diagnosed with Autism, could barely keep anything down. "Anything that was going down was coming straight back up again," she says, "He could not eat and was losing a lot of weight."
"When you are going through it as a family, you get your head down and you get on with it. But when you get through the tough stages, that is when you realise how tricky, how difficult it was for us all. When Matilda was born I had a terrible birth and I was diagnosed with PTSD. This flared up when George was in the hospital."
Kelly explains it is a feeling of powerlessness that is so difficult to deal with. She says: "It was the feeling of not being able to help him. They are in the hands of the doctors and you are just sat in a waiting room, waiting for news. It's a very, very strange feeling. It's innate to protect your child, so it goes against every natural feeling you have."
Despite this, the devoted mum, who lives with her family in Walkden, says she feels grateful that despite the frequent visits and anxiety inducing procedures, his stays at the hospital are relatively short, whereas for some worried parents their children are in the hospital long term.
“He’s been through so much with his Barrett’s oesaphagus and he’s been in and out of hospital a lot. But we do feel very grateful that we get to take him home after relatively short stays. Some families don’t get to do that. It’s those families I often think of and want to help," she says.
“Entering the hospital can be scary at first, but when you get to know the teams and speak to other parents, it becomes normality. The medical experts and the Play Team are so good with George – they got to know him and what he needed to make him less nervous."
Kelly recently supported Manchester Foundation Trust Charity’s Lantern Walk, which saw participants do a sponsored walk around Heaton Park at dusk on Saturday, November 12 to fundraise for hospitals across Greater Manchester.
Kelly and her family also took part in last year’s event and she says: "Ever since George’s treatment at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital we’ve done whatever we can to raise money for them.” Kelly, George, his little sister Matilda, seven, and dad Adam, 43, have all joined in fundraising to support Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital since George’s diagnosis.
Viv Williamson, Manchester Foundation Trust Charity’s Senior Events Manager, said: “We know there are many children like George out there who have had a scary time in hospital made more comfortable, and even a joyful experience, thanks to our brilliant NHS staff at our hospitals."
Kelly adds: "Honestly, I can’t thank them enough for everything they have done. They feel like extended family now.”
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